In Pursuit of Kala Raja: A forgotten Badaga King
Though the Nilgiris were part of many Kingdoms ruled by most of the rulers of South India viz. the Cheras, the Cholas, the Pandiyas, the Rashtrakutas, the Ganges, the Pallavas, and the Kadambas, it was never directly ruled or invaded until 1116 CE. It’s because of its geographical location, owing to its high altitude, peculiar climate, difficult passes over the hills and a feverish jungle that skirts the district, none of the invaders of adjacent areas was tempted to conquer the Nilgiris. Further, the district did not have any towns or big forts and was only inhabited by a few tribal groups. The Badagas, the Todas and the Kotas. The Badagas were dominant numerically and were essentially buffalo herders and cultivators who supported the other tribes in exchange for services. They were the lords of the Land.
The first recorded use of the word ‘Nila’ applied to this region Nilgiris can be traced to 1117 AD in the report of a general of Vishnuvardhana, King of Hoysalas. From the available inscriptions, it is seen that the Wayanad was at first under the Ganga dynasty of Mysore (930 A.D). Hoysalas appeared during the first quarter of the 12th century A.D. As per legends, King Vishnuvardhana who ruled from 1111 to 1141 is known for his capture of Wayanad and the surrounding plateau, who in reference to his enemies, claimed to have:
“frightened the Todas, driven the Kongus underground, slaughtered the Pallavas, put to death the Malayalis, terrified King Kala and entering the Nilgiri mountains, offered its peak to the Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth)”
Who is King Kala? King Kala is also known as Kala Raja, a Badaga ruler from kookal, a Badaga village in the Nilgiris. Kala Raja was a feudatory of the Adhiyaman who were prospecting for gold in the region.
Earlier records suggest that gold was found abundant at Pandalur and Devala near Gudalur, Nilgiris and the king of Nilambur Kovilakam had several mines of gold. Nilgiris was also home to semi-precious stones such as amazonite.
To know more about Kala Raja, one needs to dig through the layers of History and understand Adhiyaman and the Malaya Mountains.
Adhiyaman also known as Satyaputra-Atiyan were a royal Velir dynasty. These king-chiefs ruled from their capital Tagadur (present-day Dharmapuri) from at least the 3rd century BCE. The royal house was one of the four kingdoms of Tamilakam, ruling parts of Kongu Nadu. They were surrounded by the Cheras to the west and the Pandyas and Cholas to the east.
The Adhiyaman was a small kingdom situated on the eastern valley of the Malaya Mountains of the Western Ghats (Anamalai, Palani and Nilgiri).
The Adhiyaman is mentioned in the Puranas as well as in ancient Tamil literature. Their rule in Southern India is mentioned in rock inscriptions of the Sangam period as well as in the Edicts of Asoka dated to the 3rd century BCE and the Gummireddipura plates with the added title Satyaputra — the “members of the fraternity of truth”, synonymous with the Chera clan.
Vidukalagiya Perumal, an eighth-century chief of this family is described as the descendant of Adhiyaman Elini of the Chera dynasty (vamsa) in one of his epigraphs. A number of inscriptions in Jambai (also known as “Tirukkoyilur”) add details of their sovereignty in the 1st century CE. This ruling tribe rose in prominence during the classical period of the history of Tamil Nadu. Their most famous ruler was Adhiyaman Nedumān Anci, a powerful king who was one of the Kadai ezhu vallal (7 great patrons) of arts and literature in Tamilakam.
The Malaya Mountains were a range of mountains that were mentioned in the Hindu sacred texts like Matsya Purana, the Kurma Purana, the Vishnu Purana, and the epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The Vishnu Purana specifically mentions it amongst the seven main chains of mountains in Bharata (India), namely Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya, and Paripatra. According to the Matsya Purana, during the Great flood, the giant boat of King Manu was perched after the deluge on the top of the Malaya Mountains.
These mountains are believed to have formed the southernmost part (southwards starting from the Mangalore region) of the Western Ghats, modern-day Kerala, while the Northern part of the same was called the Sahya Mountains. The peaks of these Malaya Mountains were said to be higher than those of the Sahya Mounta. Sangam Literature calls these mountains Pothigai.
Between 1108–1116 A.D. the Badaga King Kala was protecting the Nilgiris. Vishnuvardana of Hoysala, Kingdom of Karnataka was the first king to invade the Nilgiris, sent his army and threatened the Badagas and ordered them to obey Vishnuvardana. The brave Badaga King, Kala raja refused his order and fought against him. Kala was defeated in the battle by Vishnuvardana in 1116 CE.
These chronicles are also mentioned in Government records and events: Census of India, Volume-IX, 1961, District Census Handbook, Nilgiris Volume I & II, 1965, Madras District Gazetteers, The Nilgiris District, Francis, W. Government press, 1908, Census of India, District Census Handbook Volume A & B, The Nilgiris District, 2001, SAARC Culture — 2018 and etc.
